You had your chance! Each day of this World Cup tournament, FootballCoin has given you the opportunity to choose your ideal team and win fantasy football prizes. Who were your best picks? And who were those players that surprised and disappointed you?
A few of them might show up here. These are the best of the best. This is the 2026 World Cup Team of the Tournament.
How did I choose it? I’ve been writing fantasy football columns for nearly a decade. Still, I didn’t just use my trained eye, but rather the FootballCoin stats.
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The 2026 World Cup Best XI
Goalkeeper
Unai Simon
I think that the best goalkeepers are the ones that you have to think about the least. Unai Simon was hardly ever troubled throughout this World Cup tournament. Spain only conceded one goal.
As a consequence, his fantasy football points came from clean sheets and consistency. In terms of the games, he was not the most exciting choice. However, in terms of overall performance, he was an ace.
Notable Mention: Orlando Gil (Paraguay)
I want to give a shoutout to Orlando Gil. The MLS-playing goalkeeper really impressed for Paraguay. And, I fear that the South Americans’ aggressive display against France risks being the sole thing remembered of theirs in the World Cup. No, let’s also remember Gil’s heroics.
Defenders
Achraf Hakimi
If you look on the FootballCoin stats page, you’ll notice an amazing thing. Achraf Hakimi, Morocco’s star defender, has more points than all the Spanish or Argentinian defenders who played more games. That’s amazing, as is Hakimi’s consistency on the Big Stage. A truly generational talent!
Pau Cubarsi
Spain’s team was, in my estimation, a perfect mix of youth and experience. Pau Cubarsi perfectly exemplifies this. Playing with confidence and poise, the Barcelona youngster kept Spain’s goal safe and netted a lot of fantasy football points in the process.
Aymeric Laporte
There were some doubters of Aymeric Laporte’s ability before the tournament. However, the Manchester City defender showed that his addition to the squad was made considering not just his playing itself, but the dynamics in the team. What did this mean? Laporte helped the Iberians win their second World Cup and helped the fantasy football managers who picked him earn a lot of points every week.
Dayot Upamecano
There’s an image of a tired but relentless Dayot Upamecano charging the England midfielders in the playoff for third place. That’s a good snapshot of his ability and attitude at present. There were more famous names that you could’ve chosen, but your fantasy football team was better off with him in your side.
Notable Mention: Davinson Sanchez (Colombia)
Let me highlight Davinson Sanchez’s great performances for a moment. Colombia just as much as it feasibly could in this tournament. And while the fans are going to rave about James Rodriguez and David Luiz, Sanchez’s stats show a defender that knows perfectly what is needed of him in this setup.
Midfielders
Michael Olise
Michael Olise was so good in the first rounds of the World Cup that the final two games, naturally, felt like a letdown. No matter! What he did was still enough to make him the single most effective midfielder in fantasy football. For assists or command over France’s attacking plays, there was nobody better.
Rodri
Still, in terms of overall midfield work, I’d have to choose Rodri as the MVP. In fact, his defensive sweeping is, likely, the reason why Spain won the World Cup so easily. Picking him after the first couple of games felt like a risk. But those who took it were better off.
Jude Bellingham
There were moments where Jude Bellingham looked like an absolute star. His confidence and prowess are almost enough to forget that the England midfielder is barely out of his teens. In front of goal and, often, when it mattered most, Bellingham came good.
Declan Rice
Rice was England’s most important player when the tournament started. However, his involvement, I think, also shows the peril of overworking one player. He and Harry Kane were knackered by the time of the Argentina meetup.
Still, Declan Rice earned enough points to make him fit into the Team of the Tournament. He was one of the most picked players in fantasy football. Trust me!
Notable Mention: Eustaquio Stephen (Canada)
Canada did better than many had expected. And it wasn’t David or Davies that were the stars on display. To my mind, that honour goes to Eustaquio Stephen. It’s not quite enough to make the TOTT, but well worth praising for a moment.
Forwards
Lionel Messi
Yes, yes, he was magical many times when Argentina struggled the most. Lionel Messi scored important goals, provided great assists, and walked the field, coming alive in the essential moments. Argentina didn’t win this one, but Messi’s legacy is complete.
Did you pick him in your fantasy football team at every chance that you got? You better have!
Kylian Mbappe
All of the big-name strikers scored goals in this World Cup. Of them, Kylian Mbappe looked like the player most determined to win the Golden Boot. And, so he did. Goals count for a lot in fantasy football, of course, and Mbappe’s performances leave no doubt as to his being part of the Team of the Tournament.
Notable Mention: Julian Quinones (Mexico)
Messi, Mbappe, Haaland, Kane, and Yamal are players that we all knew were going to sparkle at the World Cup.
But let’s not forget about the players that truly seized the opportunity they got. Playing in front of enthusiastic home crowds, the pacy striker Julian Quinones scored some beautiful goals and proved that he is both underrated and capable of going against the world’s best defenders.
While I was aware of Quinones from fantasy football and EAFC, seeing him exceed expectations like this is what makes the World Cup special for me.
